Mon Feb 18, 2013 at 08:54:01 AM EST

When Gary Holder-Winfield announced his candidacy for mayor of New Haven Saturday, he was introduced by a state lawmaker from Stamford, who pointed out other lawmakers in the room from Hartford, Norwalk, and Middletown.

That was no coincidence. As he kicks off his campaign to become the next mayor, Holder-Winfield (pictured) highlighted the statewide connections he's made as a state representative since 2009. He said his experience as a state legislator would help him as mayor with economic development in New Haven, as well as on other issues. New Haven relies heavily on the state for its schools budget and support for pretty much all major building projects.

Lets just say that mayors and first selectmen aren't big fans of Gov. Malloy's budget proposal.

"Shell game" and "dishonest" were the words a bipartisan group of mayors and first selectmen used Friday to described Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's budget proposal, which they said shifts how the state funds municipalities.

Malloy's budget shifts municipal funding to cover the state's education obligation and changes another funding stream into a capital program. The move allows Malloy to boost education funding and allows him to argue he's giving municipalities $45 million more than he did last year. But local leaders say the new spending comes with so many strings attached that it does the exact opposite of what the governor says it does.

Setting aside the elimination of the car tax, the changes will cause New Haven to lose $13.8 million, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, said at a Capitol press conference.

"Maybe it's fair to ask cities and towns, and more importantly the families that live in them to do with less, but then let's just be honest about it," DeStefano said.

This article is about eight years too late...immigrants have been leaving Danbury since Boughton became the city's biggest anti-immigrant bigot.